A California-based company has issued a sweeping recall of almost 245,000 pounds of cooked pasta linked to a deadly listeria outbreak.
Retail giants Walmart, Trader Joe’s, and Sprouts have withdrawn products made with the pasta from Nate’s Fine Foods, which is based in Roseville, according to the Associated Press.
Consumers who purchased items from the recalled batches are urged to check their packaging and either return or dispose of the meals immediately.
Nate’s Fine Foods produces linguine, fettuccine, penne and other pastas that are sold to major producers of heat-and-eat meals and pasta salads found in supermarkets nationwide.
The company issued the recall on September 25, according to a US Food and Drug Administration notice posted Thursday. The FDA alert listed nine pre-prepared pasta salads and ready-to-heat meals that may contain the contaminated pasta. Scroll down to see the full list.
The recall came after tests found possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes — a bacteria known to cause serious illness and even death in vulnerable populations.
Tests showed that pasta made by Nate’s Fine Foods contained the same strain of listeria found in another deadly outbreak that has killed four people and sickened 20 since August of last year, including one illness reported in September.
FreshRealm, a San Clemente company that used Nate’s pasta in its prepared meals, confirmed the genetic match between the samples and the ongoing outbreak.
California-based company Nate’s Fine Foods has issued a sweeping recall of almost 245,000 pounds of pasta products
Listeria, pictured here, is especially dangerous for pregnant women, potentially resulting in miscarriages (stock image)
Marketside Linguine with Meatballs – which is sold at Walmart – was one of the products with a possible contamination
Unlike most bacteria, Listeria can grow even in refrigerated environments, making it especially insidious in packaged foods.
This outbreak comes days after the USDA issued a public health alert Monday for two microwavable meals from HelloFresh after an inspection found one ingredient, spinach, may be contaminated with listeria.
Recalled products include 10.1-ounce containers of Hello Fresh Ready Made Meals Cheesy Pulled Pork Pepper Pasta and 10-ounce containers of Hello Fresh Ready Made Meals Unstuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey.
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